


Streets of London

by DreamingInWonderland



Category: For the People (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M, For the people goes international, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:08:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21663475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamingInWonderland/pseuds/DreamingInWonderland
Summary: Roger is asked to give a talk about working in the US Attorney's office to some law students. He and Jill make a holiday out of it.
Relationships: Jill Carlan/Roger Gunn
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	Streets of London

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this idea bubbling round in my head since I was last in London a couple of months back. I don't think it turned out exactly how I wanted it to, but I'm fairly happy with what it became, though the end came as a surprise to me but its the way it apparently wanted to end. 
> 
> There's one moment in this that's mentioned in passing that I may actually go and write at some point.
> 
> Fun fact, King's College does actually do a joint LLB/JD course which frankly sounds quite terrifying to someone who's extent of legal nodded comes from For The People, Silk and Legally Blonde.

He was absolutely loathe to wake her, but as they were due to land in a couple of hours, Roger knew he had too, even if he liked it when she fell asleep against his shoulder. He glanced at his watch – which he'd already changed the time on – and figured that Jill could use a tiny bit more sleep. Especially as she'd only gotten a few hours last night (they'd had to be up early to catch their flight) as she made sure that everything was in order. It wasn't that she didn't trust Andrew and Sandra to keep the office running while she was away, she had just wanted to make sure that they would only contact her in the most major of emergencies. She hardly every took a proper vacation – not that this would be that much of one, at least for him – and she wanted to be able to enjoy it fully. This would only be the second time that they'd been away together, but the first time they could be open about it. The first time they'd gone away together, it had only been for a quick weekend, and even thought they'd been able to be together, but there still had been a sliver of nervousness that someone they knew might see them (even if they'd been several hundred miles outside of Manhattan). Roger caught sight of the guidebook on the fold down tray and smiled. Jill had been excited for this since he'd mentioned it. It had been that that had convinced him to accept the offer.

Three months earlier…

_Jill pushed open the door to the kitchen, fresh from the shower to see Roger finishing up a phonecall. “Who was that?”_

“ _Jonah Williams from the Bar,” he replied, “he had an interesting proposition for me,” Jill leaned against the counter and indicated that he should continue. “Every April, Kings College in London have various people go and give talks or lectures to the students on the law programme. This year, they have a big group studying English and American Law, so they asked if I would go over and do it this year. Talk about my time at the US Attorney's Office.”_

“ _And this is a problem how?” she asked recognising the tone of his voice._

“ _Because I don't particularly want to do it,” he replied with a small smile. “Last time I was asked to do something, I palmed it off on Knox and Oliver Can't do that this time.”_

“ _So, why not just go?” Jill sighed. “Last week you were saying you wanted a change of scene. This is a change of scene.”_

“ _I meant a trip out west, or a weekend in Vermont, not across the ocean for a week.”_

_“Well, if you don't want to go, tell them," she shrugged. "But would a week in London really be so terrible?” Jill asked as she moved closer to him._

_He shook his head. “No.”_

_Jill gave him a soft smile. “Well, if it will make your decision easier, I have annual leave coming up that I hardly ever use properly. Maybe this year I will.”_

_Roger looked up at her with a smile. He knew that she could be a bit of a workaholic, and even when she took annual leave, she would still field calls from the office and her lawyers. “You'd come with me?”_

“ _Of course I would,” Jill replied as she hooked her arms around his neck. “If you wanted me to come with you of course.”_

“ _I always want you with me,” he commented earnestly, causing Jill to blush lightly. She always did when he was that open with her._

“ _Of course, it does mean that unlike in the courtroom, I can openly admire you. You can be a captivating presence when you want to be.”_

“ _Is that so?”_

_Jill groaned as she recognised the smirk that had crossed his face. Rather than come up with a response, she leaned in and kissed him._

-x-x-

Roger looked up as he noticed the other passengers start to move about. He reached over and pulled up the window shade. He knew from experience, that if no alarm was set, Jill preferred to be woken up gently. As the rays of the setting sun fell upon the side of her face, she nuzzled against his neck. He lightly kissed the top of her head. After a few moments, she straightened herself up and turned to give him a sleepy smile.

“How long was I out?”

“A couple of hours,” he replied.

After a few more moments conversation, Jill stood up and went to freshen up as best as she could in the airplane toilet. Despite his slight anxiety about giving two different talks over the coming week (though the fact that Jill would be there for support made him feel better), he was looking forward to the week ahead. He was looking forward to their plans – his interest in planning the trip had grown when Jill had told him of a street that had several antique book shops. Not to mention the surprise he had planned for her on Monday evening. He just hoped that she'd like it.

* * *

As it had been late when they'd arrived, they'd bypassed going to a restaurant after checking in and had just ordered room service. The hotel itself was in the centre of London, so outside the window was the unmistakeable sight of the London skyline. Not that Roger was paying that much attention to it. He was sat on the bed, notepad open in front of him as he double checked his talk for the following evening.

“Seriously?” Jill asked as she walked out of the bathroom and noticed what was on the television. “Across an ocean, and you still find Rocky?”

“It helps me concentrate.”

Jill shook her head, and rolled her eyes good naturedly. She sat on the bed beside him, and rested her head on his shoulder. “How's it going?”

“I think I've got it,” he passed the pad over to her. She'd always admired his closing statements and going by what she was reading, she was going to admire his speeches too. Rather than just some generic speech about life in the US Attorney's office, it was peppered with his personality, wry sense of humour and anecdotes about some of the less high profile cases he worked on. “So, what do you think?” he asked, eyes not straying from the screen as he watched Rocky run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

“It's great,” she smiled. “They're going to love it. You're going to be great.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

-x-x-

Roger took several deep breaths as he paced the hallway outside of the lecture theatre. He could see the room filling up with various students and professors. He looked at the note cards he'd put in his suit pocket making sure they were all still in order.

“You okay?”

He looked up and smiled at Jill who had come to stand beside him. “A little nervous.”

She smiled softly and placed her hands on his chest. “Everything will be fine. Just act like you're in front of a jury. Only this time they won't be deciding someone's fate,” she kissed his cheek. “And remember, I'll be front row. So if you need to, just look at me.”

Roger nodded slightly, feeling a little more reassured. “I'm glad you're here with me.”

“Nowhere else I'd rather be,” she replied with a wide smile. “I should go take my seat. Good luck,” she kissed him once again before she turned and walked into the lecture theatre.

Roger leaned back against the wall, as he studied his note cards once again. He looked up at the sound of footsteps and noticed the portly man with a neatly trimmed grey beard walking towards him.

“Mr Gunn?”

“Roger please,” he smiled shaking the man's hand. “You must be Professor Naylor?”

“I am,” he nodded before he indicated the hall. “Shall we?”

Roger gave him a tight smile, and followed Professor Naylor into the lecture hall. He caught sight of Jill sat front row – just like she had promised – and she nodded at him, giving him an extra burst of confidence.

-x-

The light dimmed outside the frosted glass of the window, as Jill looked around the pub. The talk had finished about an hour ago, and after a brief reception with the students that had attended, Professor Naylor (or John as he'd been asked to be called) had taken her and Roger to ' _The George_ ' opposite the imposing structure that was the Royal Courts of Justice.

“Is this your first time in London?” John asked as he sat back down, placing a tray of three drinks on the table.

Jill shook her head as she picked up her drink. “No, I came here in my mid 20's. My ex-husband was attending a conference here, I came too, spent most of my time exploring the city and avoiding him,” she took a sip of her drink.

“Has it changed much?”

“No, a few more skyscrapers and a little more traffic, but its still the same,” Jill smiled as Roger walked back over to them and sat beside them. “The company is much better this time around.”

“What are we talking about?”

“I asked if she'd ever been to London before,” John replied. “What about you, ever come here before?”

Roger nodded. “Once, I came over for a wedding when one of my cousins got married. Didn't get to see much of the city though. I flew in, then flew back the day after the wedding.”

“That's because you're a workaholic,” Jill commented. She could remember that weekend. She'd seen him on a Thursday at their regular meeting, then she'd seen him in court first thing the following Monday.

* * *

The weekend passed with little excitement. At Maggie's insistence (she was considering a college that did semesters abroad) they had taken a train out to Oxford on the Saturday and spent the day exploring the city, or at least the area around the main campuses. Roger had read a book a while back about the revival of Gothic architecture and had relished the chance to impart all that he'd learned to Jill, who was more than happy to indulge him.

Sunday, they had walked along the bank of the Thames, from the Houses of Parliament to Tower Bridge. It had reminded them both of the early days of their relationship when they would sometimes walk around Manhattan – careful to avoid locations where they could be spotted by people they worked with.

Then earlier, Jill had watched as Roger had become a kid in a candy store as they explored the independent and rare book stores down Cecil Court. He had wanted to buy many books that he'd never heard of before, however, she had put her foot down saying that he could only purchase one per shop. However, he'd perked up once they'd continued down Charing Cross Road and he'd come across a few more second hand bookshops. Jill had merely sighed with the knowledge that their suitcases would be that little bit heavier on their way back home.

Currently, Roger was sat waiting for Jill to finish her phonecall and checking his watch. Though her office knew she was on holiday, her team knew that they could still call her if they really needed to. As such, Sandra had rung half an hour ago, in dire need of help. Roger hadn't been privy to the whole conversation but he knew it was something to do with a former client, and an old file that couldn't be located. He just hoped it would wrap up soon as they had to leave. The only thing he'd told her about the surprise, was that she should look smart. Not formal or anything fancy, just something she'd wear if she was in court. He'd also mentioned that it was a twenty minute walk away from the hotel as it made no sense to take a car for a journey that was essentially straight down the road.

"All done?”

“Yes and I've told them I'll be unreachable for the rest of the evening,” she smiled. “So, what's the surprise?”

“You'll see, now come on, we don't want to be late.”

As they arrived at the building, Jill realised what the surprise was. For his part, Roger was nervous. He knew the show was her guilty pleasure – which he'd discovered when he'd found the soundtrack after she'd moved in – and that she wanted to see the current Broadway production of it, but there were a few memories associated with it that stopped her from getting tickets. So it didn't follow that she'd want to see the West End production of it.

“Well?”

“You got me tickets to see The Phantom of the Opera?”

“Well, I remember you telling me how your father took you and your sister to see it on Broadway before he died, and how much you'd like to see it again, but the memories stop you,” he replied, his words coming out in a rush. “So I figured that seeing it in London would hold less memories. Was I wrong?”

Jill shook her head, giving him a smile. “You weren't wrong. But, don't you hate musicals?”

“I love you more.”

-x-

As the show progressed, Roger knew he'd made the right decision. Since the opening bars, Jill had been watching the stage with rapt attention. While he wasn't the biggest fan of musicals – he could think of several things he'd rather be doing, and he'd been subjected to Wicked several times by his daughters – he found that he was rather enjoying himself. Or at least, enjoying watching Jill's reactions to what was happening on stage.

_'Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime.'_

She reached across and took his hand as Christine and Raoul sung their commitment to each other. Roger felt a little thrill at that moment. While she was getting a little better at it, Jill was still a little reticent to go in depth with her feelings. This was the clearest – at least he assumed it was – she'd been to show that she was hoping their relationship would last. Especially as he was fairly certain her views on marriage hadn't changed recently.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” Roger asked as they stood in the bar, sharing an interval drink.

“Very much so,” she smiled. “Thank you for this, I know this isn't something you'd choose of your own accord.”

“It was worth it to see your face during the performance,” he said as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.

“You two are such a lovely couple, how long have you two been married?”

Before either could correct her, a voice came over the speaker system asking that they all return to their seats. As they returned to the auditorium, Roger checked that he had a pack of tissues in his pocket. While he hadn't really seen the show before, he knew of the songs, and knowing of Jill's feelings about the show, and her memories of her beloved father, there was one point that he was expecting tears. He wanted to be ready should the need occur. As he'd predicted during Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, he noticed the tears. Wordlessly, he held out a tissue, she turned her head and gave him a watery smile as she accepted the tissue. She leaned back in her seat as she dried her eyes. Once again she reached for his hand and kept hold of his hand for the rest of the show.

“I feel like I should do something for you,” Jill commented as they walked back towards their hotel. The temperature had cooled in the three hours they'd been inside the theatre, so she was curled against his side, his arm wrapped tight around her.

“You don't have to do anything,” Roger replied. “I didn't do it out of any sort of expectation, I did it because I wanted to,” he added, giving her a look that meant he was serious. She shook her head slightly, resolving to do something nice for him, even if it was only a small gesture. “Listen about what that woman said...”

“Its fine,” Jill smiled. “Not the first time I've been mistaken for someone's wife.”

Roger looked at her in amusement. “Do tell.”

“This sweet old lady was in the courthouse one day, when Tina and I were playfully ribbing each other over the Mets and Yankees, and she thought we were a married couple.”

Roger chuckled lowly. “And who's a better 'mistaken' spouse, me or Tina?”

“You,” she replied. “Though, Tina wouldn't subject me to kale and raw egg smoothies. But she is a Mets fan, so it would never last,” she added with a smirk as she glanced up at him.

* * *

Roger wasn't entirely sure what it was, but something about Jill had been different this past week. He didn't know if it was the face that it was a different city or because she was completely free from work stresses. In the week they'd been here, there had only been one phonecall and that had been easily resolved. Either way, it had hit him just how much he loved this relaxed side of her. She threw a glance at him over her shoulder. He was suddenly struck by just how much he loved her. That he had never been more certain that taking the flack for her the Spiller case and resigning had been the best decisions he'd ever made. As the London Eye reached its peak, he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him. Jill placed her hands over his and smiled as he pressed a kiss to her temple. He looked at the faint outline of their reflections in one of the panes and smiled back at her.

“This has been a great week hasn't it?”

“It has,” he agreed. “Thank you for convincing me to do this.”

“I don't think you needed that much convincing.”

“Maybe not, but you certainly made it more enjoyable,” he rested his chin on her shoulder. “Not sure I could've gone a whole week without seeing you.”

Jill shook her head. “I think you'd have managed, I'm hardly the most awe-inspiring thing in the world.”

“And that is where you and I differ,” Roger smiled.

Jill turned her head slightly so that she could see his face. She kissed his cheek before she turned back to look at the London skyline. Roger let out a sigh of relief, he'd been carrying a little something in his pocket for her and was relieved that she hadn't felt it yet. Or if she had, she'd dismissed it. He was just as nervous as to how it would be received.

-x-x-x-x-

They walked hand in hand along the Victoria Embankment towards their hotel. This was their last proper night in London. Their flight back was Saturday morning, so after the second and final talk tomorrow evening, they'd be packing and making sure they had everything ready for their flight. They came to a stop beside Waterloo Bridge and looked out across the river. As a low breeze whipped around them, Roger reached into his pocket, pulling out a box from his jacket pocket and placed it on the low wall. Jill looked between it and him, her eyes wide.

“Roger...”

“Let me explain,” he said hurriedly. “So when I was getting the charm for Sophie's bracelet, I saw this and thought of you,” he flipped open the box to reveal a simple classic style white gold ring, three deep blue round sapphires were contrasted with four marquise cluster style diamonds, one before and after each sapphire. “I figured an eternity ring would be better since I know how you feel about marriage and this isn't a proposal or anything like it,” he glanced at the ring, missing the brief flash of sadness, before he looked back up at her. “I just wanted you to have something that shows how serious I am about you.”

Jill leaned in and kissed him lightly. She pulled back and looked at him. “Why on Earth would you think I need a ring for that?” she asked as she stroked his cheek lightly. “But, what if I said that I thought you were about to propose,” she paused. “That I wanted this to be a proposal.”

Roger frowned slightly. “I thought you said you were never going back there.”

“Maybe I changed my mind,” she shrugged. “Maybe I realised that letting my past experience of marriage, could possibly, eventually, maybe, ruin the best relationship I've ever been in,” she paused and noticed the hint of blush on his cheeks. “God knows you aren't Cliff and I'm not as young and naive as I was and taken in by a handsome face.”

“I'm not handsome?”

“You know what I mean,” she said with a roll her eyes. “I'm just saying I know enough about myself and who I am, to not make the same mistakes as I did the first time round.”

Roger gave her a small smile and picked up the box and looked at the ring. “Well, if we're going to make it official, maybe I should get a different ring.”

“Don't you dare,” Jill commented. “I like this one. It's much better than the big diamond I had last time.”

“Then I guess I should do this properly,” Roger said taking the ring out of the box. He would've gotten down on one knee, but he could see several people milling around and knew the attention that a proposal would bring. Something he knew Jill hated, except in regards to her cases. So he took her left hand and placed the ring at the tip of her ring finger. “Jill, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” she replied as she let him slide it onto her finger. Once it was secure, she leaned in and kissed him again, deeper than before. She wrapped her arms around his neck, while he pulled her closer. As he felt the cool metal of the ring against the nape of his neck, made him smile into the kiss.

“Shall we head back to the hotel?” he asked when they broke apart, though still maintaining the closeness.

“We shall.”

* * *

The buildings of Manhattan came into view as the plane neared JFK. Jill smiled slightly as she saw the general area of Foley Square. She had rather missed it and was looking forward to being back at work on Monday morning. Though she wouldn't have traded the week in London for anything. Despite his initial worries and hesitations, both of the lectures Roger had given had been successful. There was even talk of him doing something similar at Colombia in the fall. She'd joked that maybe he should become a law professor. He'd merely glared at her in response, before he had turned his attention back to the book he had been reading.

“You okay?”

“Fine,” she smiled as he laced his fingers with hers. “What do you think the reaction will be?”

“I don't know, I'd like to think they'd be happy for us, but to be honest, I don't care,” Jill looked up at him. “Well, I'm happy, you're happy, when we tell them Maggie and Sophie will be deliriously happy, you know how much they like you,” he added. “And I imagine Tina will be happy to,” he said as an afterthought, as he thought about the clerk of court had always supported them. “I think that's all who need to be happy.”

Jill nodded her head in agreement, before she rested her head on his shoulder, content to enjoy the last few moments of their little holiday.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it. Let me know what you thought of it.


End file.
